Hörkull

Meaning of Old Norse word "hörkull" (or hǫrkull)

As defined by the Cleasby & Vigfusson Old Norse to English dictionary:

hörkull (hǫrkull)

m. roughness; hann segir svá meðr hörðum hörkul, 732. 15; skal ek göra þeim mikinn hörkul, I will work them much annoyance, MS. 4. 16: noise, din, hófsk þá bardaginn með miklum hörkul, Karl. 289; mátti þá heyra mikinn gný ok ógurligan hörkul, 307; þeir heyrðu hörkul ok stór högg Frankismanna, 354: hence comes prob. the mod. hörgull, meaning dearth; það er mesti hörgull á því: as also in the phrase, spyrja e-n út í hörgul, or segja e-t út í hörgul, to ask or tell minutely.

Orthography: The Cleasby & Vigfusson book used letter ö to represent the original Old Norse vowel ǫ. Therefore, hörkull may be more accurately written as hǫrkull.

Possible runic inscription in Younger Futhark:ᚼᚢᚱᚴᚢᛚᛚ
Younger Futhark runes were used from 8th to 12th centuries in Scandinavia and their overseas settlements